Surgeon

What was advertised in a colonial American newspaper 250 years ago this week?

Pennsylvania Gazette (June 11, 1767).

“He is so far from being a Quack Doctor, or Dealer in mysterious Receipts.”

Recently arrived in Philadelphia from Saint Domingue, surgeon-physician Louis Colin did not place an advertisement in search of patients, though that may have been his ultimate goal. For the moment, two obstacles prevented him from offering his services to the residents of Philadelphia. He did not speak English fluently, nor had he cultivated a reputation for skill and expertise in his profession. He placed a notice in the Pennsylvania Gazette to set about overcoming both.

Colin realized that many readers were likely to be skeptical of any new medical practitioner who arrived in town. Too many itinerant doctors made promises and did not deliver. Too many peddlers sold patent medicines that had no effect. To allay suspicions of those sorts, he asserted that he was “so far from being a Quack Doctor, or Dealer in mysterious Receipts, that he utterly despises all Charlatanry.” He did not conjure preposterous diagnoses, prescribe ludicrous treatments, or hawk potions to desperate customers. Instead, his work with patients was grounded in years of training in Europe followed by years of experience in the Caribbean. He offered his credentials to make the point, noting that he studied “in one of the greatest Hospitals” in Paris for nine years before migrating to Saint Domingue. There, Count d’Estaing, the governor general of the colony, “had great Confidence in him, and placed him at the Head of the Hospital of Cape Francois.” Unfortunately for Colin, the climate did not agree with him, so he opted to migrate once again, this time to Philadelphia.

Readers did not need to merely trust that Colin accurately related his credentials. Rather than seeking patients, he placed his advertisement in hopes of making acquaintance with “the Gentlemen Physicians and Surgeons of this City,” provided that they could speak Latin or French. In the course of their conversations with Colin, other medical professionals could assess whether he truly possessed the knowledge and skills he claimed. If he had made false claims, surely local physicians and surgeons already known and trusted by the community would expose him as a fraud, the sort of “Quack Doctor” he disdained. In the course of socializing with his professional peers, Colin could also further develop his ability to speak English, though he assured readers he “assiduously applies himself” to studying the language.

As a newcomer to Philadelphia, Colin made an astute decision about what sort of advertisement to place in the local newspaper. He was not yet ready to solicit patients, but he realized that he would benefit in the long run by introducing himself to the community, especially fellow physicians and surgeons, as a means of gaining familiarity and building his reputation. This would only make recruiting patients that much easier when the time came.

“With the Help of divine Providence, and his Remedy, perfectly cured me.”

Mechell Lamy, physician and surgeon, was new to the town of Newport. He needed to inform local residents about the services he provided, but he did not have much to say on his own behalf. Instead, he crafted an advertisement that consisted almost entirely of testimonials from former patients. Why try to convince the public of his skills and expertise when the endorsements of others might have much more influence? Each former patient lauded Lamy’s skill. Most of them underscored that his treatments worked quickly, that they were cured in a short amount of time. Lamy, they suggested, did not offer false promises or attempt to extend his care over ever increasing amounts of time in order to continue charging fees. In short, Lamy was not a quack or a charlatan, at least not according to his former patients.

All of the testimonials came from the island of Martha’s Vineyard, most of them from the village of Edgarton. With one exception, each was dated within the past two months, indicating that Lamy had actively pursued his occupation on Martha’s Vineyard fairly recently. At most, Lamy had resided on the mainland for a month when this advertisement appeared. He could not depend on his reputation being spread via word-of-mouth and extended acquaintance. Instead, he had to jumpstart local assessments of his services, skill, and expertise.